Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner

Create a schoolwide foundation to ensure academic success for ALL students This useful guide supports the needs of culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse learners and demonstrates how a shared vision can increase student engagement and ensure that not-so-common learners benefit from academic rigor. Taking a system-wide approach, the authors offer educators a model arranged in six distinct yet complementary pathways to improve programs, policies, and practices for diverse learners. This innovative framework includes: Mapping and aligning an integrated curriculum—making the mainstream curricula accessible for all learners Collaborative planning and assessment—pooling intelligence so the whole is greater than the sum of its parts Teaching students explicit learning strategies—empowering students by increasing student-led learning Promoting disciplinary literacy—providing all students with access to pertinent academic language learning Featuring helpful tables that outline key concepts and real-life vignettes from schools that have successfully applied the principles, this book unlocks success for all students.  "Dove, Honigsfeld, and Cohan recognize the urgent need for practices to change on a schoolwide basis so that diverse learners can be positioned to succeed with the Common Core. This book outlines inclusive practices so that all students are included in these important conversations." —Diane Staehr Fenner, President DSF Consulting "In Beyond Core Expectations, the authors present a coherent framework for schoolwide instructional inclusiveness. This book is an essential guide for educators with a vision for true college and career readiness for ALL students, driven by sound curriculum, instruction and assessment practices."                                                                                —Cheryl H. Champ, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction           Sewanhaka Central High School District, Floral Park, NY

Table of Contents:
Dedication Acknowledgments Preface 1. A Shared and Inclusive Vision and Mission At a Glance An Inclusive, Collaboratively Developed Vision and Mission The Rationale Evidence in Support of a Shared Vision and Mission Promising Practices The Looks Fors The Complexities of Literacy Something to Remember Key Resources 2. Schoolwide Displinary Literacy At a Glance The Intricacies of Academic Language The Rationale The Evidence The Look Fors Promising Practices Something to Remember Key Resources 3. The mapping and Alignment of an Integrated Curriculum At a Glance Core Curriculum Development The Rationale The Evidence Promising Practices The Look Fors Something to Remember Key Resources 4. Collaborative Planning, Instruction, and Assessment At a Glance Why Collaboration is an Essential Practice The Rationale The Evidence Promising Practices The Look Fors Something to Remember Key Resources 5. Teaching Students Explicit Learning Strategies At a Glance Explicit Instruction The Rationale The Evidence Promising Practices The Look Fors Something to Remember Key Resources 6. Student Engagment At a Glance Student Engagement The Rationale The Evidence Promising Practices The Look Fors Something to Remember Key Resources Final Thoughts References

About the Author :
Maria G. Dove, Ed.D., is a Professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy University, Rockville Centre, New York. She teaches preservice and inservice teachers about the research and best practices for implementing effective instruction for English learners, and she supports doctoral students in the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities. Before entering the field of higher education, she worked for over thirty years as an English-as-a-second-language teacher in public school settings (Grades K–12) and in adult English language programs in the greater New York City area. She frequently provides professional development for educators throughout the United States on the teaching of multilingual learners. She also serves as a mentor for new ESOL teachers as well as an instructional coach for general-education teachers and literacy specialists. With Andrea Honigsfeld, she has coauthored multiple best-selling Corwin books, including Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners (2010), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K–5: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), and Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades 6–12: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader’s Guide (2015), Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection (2018). Along with other Corwin top-named authors, she co-authored Breaking Down the Wall: Essential shifts for English learner success (2020). In addition, she co-edited, Coteaching and Other Collaborative Practices in the EFL/ESL Classroom: Rationale, Research, Reflections, and Recommendations (2012) and Co-Teaching for English Learners: Evidence-based practices and research-informed outcomes (2020) published by Information Age. With Audrey Cohan and Andrea Honigsfeld, she coauthored Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner (2014) published by Corwin and Team up, speak up, fire up: Educators, students, and the community working together to support English learners (2020) published by ASCD.  Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is a professor in the School of Education at Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York. Before entering the field of teacher education, she was an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher in Hungary (Grades 5–8 and adult) and an English-as-a-second-language teacher in New York City (Grades K–3 and adult). She also taught Hungarian at New York University. She was the recipient of a doctoral fellowship at St. John’s University, New York, where she conducted research on individualized instruction. She has published extensively on working with multilingual learners and teacher collaboration. She received a Fulbright Award to lecture in Iceland in the fall of 2002. In the past 22 years, she has been presenting at conferences across the United States, China, Denmark, Japan, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. She coauthored Differentiated Instruction for At-Risk Students (2009) and coedited the five-volume Breaking the Mold of Education series (2010–2013), published by Rowman and Littlefield. She is also the coauthor of Core Instructional Routines: Go-To Structures for Effective Literacy Teaching, K–5 and 6–12 (2014), Growing Language and Literacy (K-8 and 6-12, 2019, 2024 respectively) published by Heinemann. With Maria G. Dove, she coedited Coteaching and Other Collaborative Practices in the EFL/ESL Classroom: Rationale, Research, Reflections, and Recommendations (2012), Co-teaching for English Learners: Evidence-based Practices and Research-informed Outcomes (2020), Portraits of collaboration: Educators working together to support multilingual learners (2022), and coauthored Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners (2010), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K–5: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades 6–12: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner (2014), Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader’s Guide (2015), Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection (2018), Collaborating for English Learners: A Foundational Guide to Integrated Practices (2019), and Co-Planning: 5 Essential Practices to Integrate Curriculum and Instruction for English Learners (2022). She is a contributing author of Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learner Success (2020), From Equity Insights to Action (2021), Digital-Age Teaching for English Learners (2022), Collaboration and Co-teaching for Dual Language Learners: Transforming Programs for Multilingualism and Equity (2023), Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall: Essential Shifts for Multilingual Learners’ Success (2024). Collaboration for Multilingual Learners with Exceptionalities: We Share the Students (2024), Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers: Pathways to Partnerships (2025), 9 Dimensions of Scaffolding for Multilingual Learners. Ten of her Corwin books are bestsellers. Dr. Audrey Cohan is the Senior Dean for Research, Scholarship, and Graduate Studies at Molloy University, Rockville Centre, New York. She has been at Molloy University for twenty-nine years during which time she served as Professor, Chairperson of the Education Department, and Interim Dean for the Division of Natural Sciences. Dr. Cohan has taught in the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. She began her career as a special education teacher in New York City working with students with special needs in both self-contained and resource room settings. Her first book, published in 1995, was titled Sexual Harassment and Sexual Abuse: A Handbook for Teachers and Administrators. This co-authored book was an outgrowth of her dissertation work, which focused on child sexual abuse within schools. Dr. Cohan co-edited a five-volume Breaking the Mold series about educational innovation with Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles about English language learners. The textbook published in 2016, Serving English Language Learners earned the Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA) Most Promising New Textbook Award. Her other co-authored book publications include Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner (2014), America’s Peace-minded Educator: John Dewey (2016), Team Up, Speak Up, Fire Up! Educators, Students, and the Community Working Together to Support English Learners (2020), and From Equity Insights to Action (2022). While at Molloy University, Dr. Cohan has been the recipient of the Faculty Leadership Award, the Faculty Recognition Award, the Molloy University Research Award, and the Distinguished Service Award.  

Review :
"Dove, Honigsfeld, and Cohan recognize the urgent need for practices to change on a schoolwide basis so that diverse learners can be positioned to succeed with the Common Core. Beyond Core Expectations: a Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner outlines inclusive practices so that all students – English learners, students with disabilities, and other marginalized groups – are included in these important conversations. The book’s practical toolkit provides educators with ample opportunities to evaluate and collaborate around ways in which they can provide a more equitable learning environment for their diverse students. I highly recommend this book to those who wish to ensure that all students’ strengths and needs are considered during the implementation of the Common Core." "Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner provides a masterfully blend of instructional practices with a deep understanding of the CCSS, and presents them in a way that makes sense to educators on the front lines of implementation. In Beyond Core Expectations, Dove, Honigsfeld, and Cohan work to the next level by presenting a coherent framework for schoolwide instructional inclusiveness. This book is an essential guide for educators with a vision for true college and career readiness for ALL students, driven by sound curriculum, instruction and assessment practices."